|
Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart
This article covers food
storage times in freezers and refrigerators.
Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product,
consult this chart and follow these tips. These short but safe time
limits will help keep refrigerated food 40° F (4° C) from
spoiling or becoming dangerous.
- Purchase the product
before “sell-by” or expiration dates.
- Follow handling
recommendations on product.
- Keep meat and poultry
in its package until just before using.
- If freezing meat and
poultry in its original package longer than 2 months, over-wrap these
packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper,
or place the package inside a plastic bag.
Because freezing
0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following
recommended storage times are for quality only.
|
Product
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Eggs |
|
|
| Fresh, in
shell |
4 to 5 weeks |
Don't freeze |
| Raw yolks,
whites |
2 to 4 days |
1 year |
| Hardcooked |
1 week |
Doesn't
freeze well |
|
Liquid
pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, opened
|
3 days |
Don't freeze |
| Liquid
pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, unopened |
10 days |
1 year |
Mayonnaise,
commercial
Refrigerate after opening |
2 months |
Don’t
freeze |
|
|
Product
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
TV
Dinners, Frozen Casseroles
Keep frozen until ready to heat |
|
3
to 4 months |
|
| Deli &
Vacuum-Packed Products |
Refrigerator |
Freezer |
|
Store-prepared
(or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads
|
3 to 5 days |
Don’t
freeze well |
| Pre-stuffed
pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed w/dressing |
1 day |
Don’t
freeze well |
| Store-cooked
convenience meals |
3 to 4 days |
Don’t
freeze well |
| Commercial
brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened |
2 weeks |
Don’t
freeze well |
|
| |
|
Raw Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Hamburger
& stew meats |
1 to 2 days
|
3 to 4 months |
| Ground
turkey, veal, pork, lamb |
1 to 2 days
|
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Ham, Corned Beef
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Corned
beef in pouch with pickling juices |
5 to 7 days |
Drained, 1
month |
|
Ham, canned,
labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened
|
6 to 9
months |
Don’t freeze |
| Ham, canned,
labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened |
3 to 5 days
|
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully
cooked, whole |
7 days
|
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully
cooked, half |
3 to 5 days
|
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully
cooked, slices |
3 to 4 days |
1 to 2 months |
|
| Hot Dogs & Lunch
Meats |
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
(in freezer wrap)
|
| Hot dogs,
opened package |
1 week
|
1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs,
unopened package |
2 weeks
|
1 to 2 months |
|
Lunch meats,
opened package
|
3 to 5 days
|
1 to 2 months |
| Lunch meats,
unopened package |
2 weeks
|
1 to 2 months |
|
|
Soups & Stews
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
|
Vegetable or
meat-added & mixtures of them
|
3 to 4 days |
2 to 3 months |
|
|
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Bacon
|
7 days
|
1 month |
| Sausage,
raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey |
1 to 2 days
|
1 to 2 months |
| Smoked
breakfast links, patties |
7 days
|
1 to 2 months |
|
Summer
sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened
|
3 months
|
1 to 2 months |
| Summer
sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened |
3 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
|
|
Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, & Pork)
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Steaks |
3 to 5 days
|
6 to 12
months |
| Chops
|
3 to 5 days
|
4 to 6 months |
| Roasts
|
3 to 5 days |
4 to 12
months |
| Variety
meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings) |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Meat Leftovers
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Cooked meat
& meat dishes |
3 to 4 days
|
2 to 3 months |
| Gravy &
meat broth |
1 to 2 days
|
2 to 3 months |
|
|
Fresh Poultry
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Chicken or
turkey, whole |
1 to 2 days
|
1 year |
| Chicken or
turkey, parts |
1 to 2 days
|
9 months |
| Giblets
|
1 to 2 days
|
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Cooked Poultry, Leftover
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Fried
chicken |
3 to 4 days
|
4 months |
| Cooked
poultry dishes |
3 to 4 days
|
4 to 6 months |
| Pieces,
plain |
3 to 4 days
|
4 months |
| Pieces
covered with broth, gravy |
1 to 2 days
|
6 months |
| Chicken
nuggets, patties |
1 to 2 days
|
1 to 3 months |
|
|
Fish & Shellfish
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Lean fish |
1 to 2 days |
6 months |
| Fatty fish
|
1 to 2 days |
2 to 3 months |
| Cooked fish
|
3 to 4 days |
4 to 6 months |
| Smoked fish
|
14 days |
2 months |
| Fresh
shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 6 months |
|
Canned seafood
Pantry, 5 years
|
after
opening
3 to 4 days |
out of can
2 months
|
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Areas covered in
this article include:
food safety, food storage
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